Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu has said he feels like a “failure as a captain” after his side’s defeat to the West Indies in Bristol left them fifth out of six teams in Group 2 and facing an uphill task to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup.Athapaththu scored just two runs as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 98. West Indies chased down the target with five wickets in hand and 23 balls to spare. Sri Lanka have won only three of their matches, and England and West Indies have won all three, Sri Lanka’s chances of progressing have been tough.Sri Lanka too squandered their chances through many pitches, dropped catches and fielding mistakes. The 23 overs he conceded were the second most for West Indies.“Obviously, it’s incredibly sad,” Athapaththu, who is playing in the tenth round of the T20 World Cup, said after the loss. “I think I’ve played 18 years for the national team and I couldn’t get the chance to take my team to the semi-final of the World Cup.”“Although I have achieved many things personally, I think I am a failure as a captain, because I think this is very painful for the players. Actually, now I have to have that pain.”“I think I tried my best, I think I should have played more than this and if I had played better than today, we would have won the game today. So, I regret. Especially I don’t like to blame anyone and I think I have a lot of responsibility as a football player, as a team leader and as a football player with a lot of experience,” said Athapaththu mentally after the defeat by the West Indies.“So, I’m really sad, I feel like I’ve lost my last chance.”Athapaththu is 36 years old and has participated in the Women’s T20 World Cup so far. The next tournament is scheduled to be held in Pakistan in 2028. When asked if he sees himself playing in the tournament, he said: “Right now, I can’t talk about it, because it’s my age, now I’m 36 years old.“So, I’m staying healthy and everything, that being considered. So, I try to stay healthy, and keep my skills at a high level.“If the team wants, I will play in the future, but it is my game and training, it will be decided if I play or not.”Sri Lanka’s remaining Group 2 matches are against Ireland in Bristol on June 23 and Scotland in Manchester on June 26.
